Small Bodies

FACULTY
William Boynton
William Boynton		Robert Brown
Robert Brown		Richard Greenberg
Richard Greenberg		Dante Lauretta
Dante Lauretta		Renu Malhotra
Renu Malhotra
Robert McMillan
Bob McMillan		Timothy Swindle
Timothy Swindle		Thomas Zega
Tom Zega

Additional personnel: Carl Hergenrother, Steve Larson

CENTER FOR ASTROBIOLOGY

The Lunar and Planetary Laboratory has long been a leader in research into the small bodies of the solar system. Active research includes:

  • Two world-renowned asteroid survey programs. TheSpacewatch program, directed by Dr. Robert McMillan, claims a number of firsts in hunting for small bodies, many related to being the first to use CCD-scanning routinely. The Catalina Sky Survey, under the direction of Steve Larson, has led the world in asteroid discoveries each year since 2005. Dr. McMillan has also been part of the Near-Earth Object portion of the WISE spacecraft mission.

  • The first American asteroid sample-return mission. OSIRIS-REx, with professor Dante Lauretta as the Principal Investigator, is scheduled for launch in 2016.

  • Several groups active in meteorite research, led by professors Lauretta, Tim Swindle, and Tom Zega.

  • Research into the orbital evolution of the Main Asteroid Belt and the Kuiper Belt in the groups of professors Richard Greenberg and Renu Malhotra.

  • As well as the discoveries of comets made by the asteroid survey programs, LPL has a long tradition of research into comets, continued by Associate professor Walter Harris and Emeritus Professor Uwe Fink.

Catalina Sky Survey

WEBSITE
Catalina Sky Survey

Spacewatch

WEBSITE
Spacewatch

OSIRIS-REx

WEBSITE
OSIRIS-REx